Golf with no tee time required, trails close to home and afternoons on the lake, this private community in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, gives Arizona sunbirds a reason to stay awhile.
If you’ve ever set a predawn alarm to squeeze in a walk before the Arizona heat sets in, the appeal of Coeur d’Alene needs little explanation. A summer day in North Idaho can stretch from a hike in the trees to an afternoon on the lake, with dinner alfresco still ahead.
Coeur d’Alene has a little of that “if you know, you know” appeal. There are lakefront estates, private clubs and celebrity visitors, but the place still feels distinctly local: casual, outdoorsy and a little rugged. You can appreciate a beautiful home and a good wine list while spending most of your day in hiking shoes or a swimsuit.
At CDA National Reserve, a 1,000-acre private club and nature preserve on the western side of Lake Coeur d’Alene, plenty of your neighbors would understand the move. Membership is capped across the club to 275 total memberships, and, according to the club, about 25 percent of current members come from the Phoenix and Scottsdale area. For “sunbirds,” or reverse snowbirds, the idea is to head north for summer and return to Arizona when the heat eases.
Grab a golf cart and explore the community, where homes with large windows and covered terraces sit among manicured fairways and pine trees. Along the 17th fairway, the Fairway Lodges are a limited collection of 24 three-bedroom homes with wood and stone finishes and expansive course views. Homesites start at $555,000, where buyers can work with one of the club’s preferred builders to create their dream homes. Custom homes are also available, starting in the low $2 millions.
The access to nature is immediate. A morning hike can be as simple as walking out your door and across the road to a trail. More than 10 miles of paths accommodate hiking, mountain biking, fitness walks and outings with the dog.
On the golf course, there’s another welcome bit of freedom: no tee times. That club-wide membership limit helps keep play unhurried. A round can feel as though you have the place almost to yourself.
“Every hole on the course is a canvas,” says Dave Stockton Jr., a professional golfer who also works in real estate sales at the club. Tom Weiskopf’s 18-hole design takes players through wooded terrain before opening to views of the lake. The course is arranged as a front 10 and back eight. At the 15th hole, La Vista offers tacos with a view across the iconic Lake Coeur d’Alene.
Not a golf devotee? There’s plenty to do even if your clubs stay at home. At The Outpost, the fully equipped gym opens to the outdoors and overlooks a stocked fishing pond. Workout with a personal trainer, take a Pilates class, swim laps or meet friends for pickleball or tennis. Afterward, unwind with a cold plunge or time in the Scandinavian sauna.
The club also partners with Dr. Cameron Chesnut, a facial plastic surgeon and founder of 5C. His practice offers cosmetic surgery, functional medicine and regenerative medicine in a striking state-of-the-art building in downtown Coeur d’Alene. Chesnut has also helped shape the club’s wellness offerings, including The Outpost’s full-body red light therapy room. The partnership’s Premier Longevity Membership includes quarterly appointments, a personalized health plan and an Oura ring for health tracking.
For surgical patients, 5C also offers private retreat homes separate from CDA National Reserve and about a five-minute drive from the clinic. Chesnut and his team can visit for postoperative checkups, bringing personal care into a home setting with Spokane River views, nearby walking paths and rooms designed for optimum rest and recovery with lighting that supports natural sleep and wake cycles, organic linens and nontoxic cookware.
Back at CDA National Reserve, try sporting clays or archery at The Reserve Lodge, then head to The Lakehouse for paddleboarding, kayaking or lunch on the deck. Kids will have a blast at the floating water park and CDA Explorers activities, from scavenger hunts to lakeside s’mores. A boat concierge can arrange outings aboard the club’s custom StanCraft boat, and a sunset cruise brings everyone back together.
The Clubhouse’s dining room and patios overlook the course, with a wine cellar and lounge for unforgettable evenings that run past dinner. Between workouts, rounds of golf and meals, there are plenty of chances to get to know and make memories with the people spending the season alongside you.
When you want to venture out, Downtown Coeur d’Alene is about 25 minutes away from the club. The trip from Arizona is manageable, too: Fly from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport to Spokane International Airport, then allow about an hour’s drive east to the club. For those flying privately, CDA National Reserve offers access through its private hangar at the StanCraft Jet Center in Coeur d’Alene, complete with parking, a welcome lounge and conference facilities.
For Arizona’s sunbirds, the appeal of Coeur d’Alene is easy to picture: a place to call home, a summer spent outdoors and a community to share it with.
Learn more about real estate and membership opportunities at cdanational.com.
Photos courtesy CDA National Reserve
